The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

TWO men and a woman were cleared of nearly a dozen human trafficking related charges in Magistrates Court this week.

Terrance Williams, Mariska Williams and Michael Parrila appeared before Magistrate Constance Delancy for a decision in their trial concerning the alleged trafficking and harbouring of five women for sexual exploitation in January, 2015.

Then Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt, who presided over their case, has since been appointed to the Supreme Court.

On Tuesday afternoon, Magistrate Delancy informed the trio that they were formally discharged over the charge of conspiracy to engage in trafficking in persons, five counts of harbouring for the purposes of exploitation and five counts of transfer for the purpose of exploitation.

David Cash, a representative of the Office of the Attorney General, indicated the Crown’s intent to file an appeal and sought a stay of the effects of the ruling.

The latter was granted pending the outcome of the appeal. The three remain on bail.

The five complainants did not appear at trial to give evidence concerning the allegations against the three accused. However, their statements to police were allowed into the record through Section 66 of the Evidence Act, which gives the court the discretion to allow the statements of witnesses who are dead, cannot be found or are too sick to testify into evidence.

The statements revealed that the five women knowingly came to The Bahamas to engage in exotic dancing but were not brought to the capital by the accused.

Though they claimed that they were not allowed to leave the apartment where they stayed unaccompanied, there were no claims of their passports being taken from them or being forced to have sex with anyone against their will.

The presiding trial magistrate had found that the Crown had not made out a sufficient case to warrant a conviction.

The accused were defended by Tonique Lewis and Keith Seymour.